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Thank you, Rabbi Goldberg, for bringing attention to the importance of Jewish early childhood education. You outline many crucial areas for the Jewish community to think about and explore more deeply. I would like to add something to your list – something that has the ability to transform both Jewish early childhood education and the Jewish community writ large: Inclusion.

The Jewish community has come to understand that early childhood education is the entry point into Jewish life for a high percentage of previously unaffiliated adults, and has the potential to significantly increase the number of young Jews engaged in ongoing Jewish learning. What happens, then, when these young parents have a child with a disability and approach their local Jewish early childhood program? What happens when these young parents have a child already enrolled in that Jewish early childhood program when a special need is discovered? And what happens when a child spends three years in a Jewish early childhood program, delays undetected, and then seeks admission into a local Jewish day school?

According to The Learning Disabilities Association of America, “Identifying learning disabilities early can pave the way for children to get the support they need to experience successful futures both in and out of school. Knowing the early warning signs that put young children at risk for learning disabilities and understanding normal developmental milestones helps with early diagnosis and intervention.”

And, yet, the overwhelming majority of Jewish early childhood programs are not equipped to say “yes” to the first family; to say “let’s work together” to the second family; to allow the 3rd family to avoid the hardships of wondering “what if?”

Yes, there are many factors that parents take into account when making the choice to enroll their child in Jewish early childhood programs. Unfortunately, the 15-20% of families with children with special needs are never given that choice.

Jewish early childhood educators – and the establishments in which they work – could be THE difference between a positive and a negative relationship to the Jewish community. Inclusion must start there.

Meredith Polsky is the National Director of Institutes and Training at Matan (www.matankids.org).

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